


Forsaken Memories [English]

by miauneko



Category: King of Fighters
Genre: Amnesia, Fluff, IorixKyo, KyoxIori, M/M, Slice of Life, Unrealistic Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:40:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24157501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miauneko/pseuds/miauneko
Summary: [BL/Yaoi] [IorixKyo] [Translation] Iori has lost his memories, but there's something he'll never forget.
Relationships: Kusanagi Kyou/Yagami Iori, Yagami Iori/Kusanagi Kyou
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Forsaken Memories [Español]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19441531) by [miauneko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miauneko/pseuds/miauneko). 



> Several years ago, I wrote an IorixKyo fanfic called “Lost Memories” based on this same plot. One thing I always regretted was making such a short story out of such an interesting idea ^^. I wanted to rewrite it, but I soon realized that Kyo, Iori and the world in general have changed too much. The twists and turns of the story don’t work anymore. After giving it some thought, I decided to reuse the main plot and adapt it to fit KOF XIV, KOF for Girls and the early chapters of the A New Beginning manga. The story won’t be the same, but I’ll try to stick to what matters: the relationship between Kyo and Iori.
> 
> Please keep in mind that English is not my first language. 
> 
> ~ Miau ♥

The stadium where the final match of the “The King of Fighters” tournament would take place that year was filled to the brim. Thousands of excited fans where chanting “Antonov”, the name of the Russian billionaire behind the event’s organization. Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the stage installed on the far side of the field.

A dozen giant screens installed around the stadium displayed the tournament’s logo clearly outlined against a pulsating burgundy background, heightening the audience's anticipation.

“Heh, what’s there to be excited about?” muttered Kusanagi Kyo, looking at the scene from a private luxury box, several meters above the spectators.

Kyo was standing in front of the balcony’s handrail, hands thrust deep into the pockets of his jeans. His dark brown eyes swept the audience and lingered on the empty stage. He scoffed at the decoration—unnecessarily ostentatious, just like the image this iteration of the tournament sought to project. What were those arches supposed to evoke? Their thick and imposing grooved columns looked Greek (or were they Roman?), and long staircases led from the stage to the main ring through a long carpeted path. The match would take place there, in the middle of the field.

The stadium was partially roofed, and the rays of the sun fell vertically on the central area. The sky above was clear and blue, with only a few scattered clouds.

The tournament’s opening ceremony had been held there, several weeks ago.

A mysterious dark energy had appeared briefly during the first match, but then it was gone, allowing the tournament to continue without any setback. However, the participants—KOF veterans in the most part—were able to still feel the entity’s presence and remained alert, knowing that they could not drop their guard.

Kyo in particular had a good reason to remain vigilant. The dark energy had interrupted the tournament during the opening fight when he was facing Yagami Iori, his lifelong rival. The energy had possessed Iori, encountering no resistance, and had taken control over the redhead’s body and actions.

The possession had lasted only a few minutes, because Kyo had managed to bring Yagami back to consciousness. Kyo had suffered some minor scratches, but he was otherwise fine.

However, he was worried about Yagami. The possession by the entity had been sudden and absolute. The redhead didn’t even have a chance to resist it.

What would have happened if he hadn’t been there to call Yagami’s name? To make him return to his senses? Kyo didn’t know.

A faint rustling sound interrupted his thoughts.

“I thought you had gone home after being disqualified,” Kyo said, smiling smugly.

“I still have something to do here.” The voice was deep and low, but audible despite the noise of the crowd. There was disdain in the humorless intonation.

Kyo turned his head to look over his shoulder. Iori was stepping out onto the balcony, an unreadable expression on his face. He wore a long wine-colored trench coat that had burn marks on its torn right sleeve. The burns were a reminder of their fight, and Kyo carried a similar mark on the sleeve of his white jacket.

Iori walked toward him and Kyo instinctively brought his guard up, ready to deflect any sudden attack.

However, the redhead merely stopped next to him and gazed at the stadium, just as Kyo had been doing seconds ago.

 _If you wanted to admire the view you could have picked any other balcony, Yagami_ thought Kyo, looking at Iori out of the corner of his eye.

Iori studied the crowd and then the stage. His hair swayed in the breeze and Kyo got a glimpse of the cold crimson glow in his eyes. Years ago, those eyes had looked at him with unfathomable contempt and Iori had gone after his life moved by crazed obsession. He hadn’t listened to reason back then.

But everything had changed. Nowadays, an encounter with Yagami could lead to violence or to a harmless exchange of words.

 _But now he’s even more annoying_ , thought Kyo bitterly. _Talking to him is like walking through a mine field. It’s impossible to tell when he’s going to explode._

Kyo repressed a short laugh. At the beginning, he had hated the constant presence of Yagami in his life. The redhead still pissed him off when he appeared out of nowhere to threaten him in front of others, because this amused Kyo’s friends to no end.

Being the butt of the jokes regarding Yagami’s fixation wasn’t funny. What was Yagami thinking when he said things like ‘you’re mine’ in front of people? Perhaps his goal was to make him die of embarrassment?

Kyo’s teammates and friends considered Yagami a fairly disturbed person, and they didn’t aim their jokes at him, probably because they didn’t want to die. After each encounter, Kyo was made fun of, because he was the object of Yagami’s obsession.

A devoted, incessant, invariable obsession that had lasted years.

The crowd’s cheering grew louder and brought Kyo back from his thoughts. He turned toward the stage. A voice in the loudspeakers announced that Antonov would address the public, as the ‘champion’ who was defending his title.

Months ago, when the different teams had received their invitation to participate in the KOF, Antonov had proclaimed himself as ‘the first KOF champion’, even though no one had heard of him before.

Personally, Kyo didn’t have any reason to disprove such bold statement. He wanted a good fight. If Antonov was an impostor, the lie would be exposed through a humiliating defeat at the hands of any of the teams.

When the organizer made his first public appearance, Kyo confirmed that confronting Antonov wasn’t worth his time. The man seemed to be an eccentric billionaire, one of many others who had held the King of Fighters tournament over the years.

One redeeming quality in favor of Antonov was his candid pomposity. A buffoon like him certainly couldn’t have a hidden agenda to release an ancient deity who wanted to destroy the world. It was obvious to Kyo that he had organized the tournament to feed his own vanity.

The stage was showered by a burst of sparks and the audience cheered with glee. Antonov made a dramatic entrance by emerging from a trap door on the floor amidst a haze of artificial smoke. His wide chest was bare and he held a thick cigar between his teeth. A chunky golden belt decorated with the tournament’s sigil hung from his waist.

“Do you think that guy would have kept his cool if he had seen Orochi?” mused Kyo sarcastically, crossing his arms. On the stage, Antonov was stressing that he was the best and that he alone would face the three members of the team that had reached the finals.

“That’s irrelevant.”

Kyo was shocked at receiving at reply—even a short one as such—because he had expected none. Iori was staring at the stage with a furrowed brow.

“Well, I guess it’s time to go fight him,” Kyo said feigning boredom. “Ah! I get why you came here! This is the best place to admire my victory.”

“Hmph.”

Iori approached him. Kyo kept smiling, but cursed to himself, because he hadn’t expected Iori to move so fast. The redhead entered his personal space and leaned towards his face. The gleam in his crimson eyes was disdainful but also placid.

“Go win the tournament. I’ll take pleasure in defeating you after they crown you as the champion.”

“You’re such a jerk, Yagami,” Kyo said, pushing the redhead away and making his best effort not to smile, because Iori’s words had _almost_ been amusing.

“I’ll be waiting, Kyo,” Iori said, watching Kyo walk toward the balcony’s door. “There’ll be no interruptions this time.”

Kyo didn’t stop. He gestured _yeah, yeah, whatever you say_ , and went to look for his teammates. They had a tournament to win.

Iori’s eyes lingered on Kyo until he was out of sight and then his attention returned to the stage.

He perceived Kyo’s absence as an emptiness that was rapidly filled by the wicked presence that had been haunting him since the beginning of the tournament.

It was invisible and dark at the same time, quiet, vigilant. Unlike Orochi’s attempt to control him years ago, the entity didn’t try to speak to him. It didn’t give him any order or said “kill Kusanagi”.

It was ironic, but it was easier to fight back when a god told him to take Kyo’s blood or life. Orochi had tried to manipulate him and make him believe that they shared the same goal, but the god had made a mistake. Kyo’s life wasn’t the only thing Iori wanted. He didn’t want to simply kill him. What he wanted went beyond that, and it encompassed what Kyo’s existence represented as a whole.

The god had failed to understand this, because Iori himself was unable to explain it.

The purpose of the new entity that haunted him wasn’t clear, but Iori knew one thing: his body was being targeted, to be used as a host or to obtain the Orochi blood that ran through his veins.

And he also knew that if he succumbed to the control of the entity, Kyo would be the one to bring him down.

And he wasn’t going to allow it. Because, when he woke up from the spell during their first match, he had seen Kyo’s face inches away from his, and the brunette had a stupid smirk on his lips and a _you owe me another one, Yagami_ expression in his brown eyes. And Kyo had been bleeding, the skin of his chest torn open by wounds Iori didn’t remember having inflicted.

Wounds like that wouldn’t happen again. He wanted to be fully awake to seize every moment, every second he spent with Kyo. To see every drop of blood he spilled, and hear every groan of pain.

Iori covered his face with one hand while a humorless laugh shook his shoulders.

Such a pathetic situation…

He had survived the battle against Orochi, for what…?

History was repeating itself, as if the only value of his existence was the power he carried within himself, or the fact that his body could be used as a conduit for other beings.

Iori walked away from the balcony and followed the same corridor Kyo had taken minutes ago. The sound of his footsteps echoed on the cement walls of deserted hallways, and was drowned by the clamor of the audience. A voice announced that the match between Antonov and the Japan Team would start soon.

When he reached the exit of the tunnel that led to the stadium’s field, Iori saw that Kyo and his teammates were standing on the ring. Kyo had his hands in his pockets and he was smiling confidently. He was going first against Antonov.

The large Russian man was approaching the ring from the stage, walking at a leisurely pace along the carpet, soaking up in the audience’s admiration.

Iori crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, without taking his eyes off Kyo. He already knew the outcome of the fight.

* * *

“Not bad, for one so young. But you still have a long way to go, boy. Watch and learn.”

Antonov was smiling from ear to ear, holding the cigar between his teeth. His left cheek had a bruise caused by one of Kyo’s blows, but he still eyed the brunette condescendingly. He was convinced of his superiority.

“Oi, oi, did I hit you too hard? You’re starting to lose grasp of reality,” Kyo said.

“Nah. This is just starting.”

But the outcome of the match had already been decided, because there was no way a mere human could defeat someone who held the power to defeat a god. Antonov had extraordinary strength, but it was unlikely that he knew what it meant to fight for his life. The desperation of not being strong enough to save humanity was unknown to him. If he considered himself the strongest man on the planet, it was because he knew nothing about the world.

Kyo didn’t have to use the full extent of his power to face Antonov. While he fought, he thought about the other participating fighters, who were stronger and more capable than Antonov, but who had been disqualified after losing to other strong teams.

The elimination rounds had undermined the tournament’s excitement for Kyo. Had Antonov participated since the preliminary rounds, the final match could have offered a more interesting challenge.

 _Well, there’s nothing I can do about it_ , thought Kyo. And a voice in the back of his head was grateful for Yagami’s existence, because the redhead was one of the few fighters in the entire world who was at his level. _Heh, I’m zoning out in the middle of a match… This self-proclaimed champion is no challenge at all…_

Kyo decided that he had nothing to lose by giving the audience a grand finale, even though it wasn’t really necessary for him to summon all his power in order to defeat Antonov. He made an apathetic gesture and spun to evade the Russian’s enormous fist. Then he retaliated with a blow towards Antonov’s chest. He had plenty of time to think _Should I go high or low?_ and then he decided to continue the attack with a high kick that lifted the huge Russian several centimeters above the ground.

The force of the next kick defied gravity and raised Antonov one meter into the air.

Kyo summoned orange flames in his hand while Antonov started to fall. His Orochinagi hit before the Russian touched the ground and sent him flying to one side, beyond the boundaries of the ring.

“That was overkill, Kyo.” Benimaru, one of Kyo’s teammates, approached him with a smile while the audience let out a deafening roar.

“I was just trying to provide some entertainment value,” Kyo replied smugly.

They heard elaborate breathing. Antonov returned to the ring dragging his feet. The exposed skin of his chest was red where Kyo’s fire had singed him. It didn’t matter that he could still fight. Falling outside the ring meant an immediate disqualification.

“Amazing…” panted Antonov, looking at Kyo before falling to his knees. “The belt is yours, take it…” He took off the pompous accessory he carried on his waist, ready to hand it over to Kyo.

“You can keep it, I’m not interested in that… thing,” Kyo said hastily.

“It’s the symbol of the champion, you must—”

Kyo stopped listening. The atmosphere around the arena changed abruptly and he looked up.

The clear blue sky and the scattered white clouds had disappeared. In their place, black storm clouds had gathered, swirling, emitting blinding flashes of turquoise lightning.

“Kyo!” Benimaru called out urgently. Next to him, Goro, the third member of the Japan Team, was looking at the clouds through narrowed eyes.

“What the hell is going on?” Kyo muttered, reuniting with his friends.

The audience had fallen silent, and no one was moving, mistakenly thinking that the cracks in the sky were special effects staged by the tournament.

A bolt of lightning surged down, striking the ground some meters away from them with a deafening sound. Two more bolts destroyed a couple of giant screens and a third one shattered the stage, swallowing it in a big explosion.

The voices of the audience were heard again, but this time they were terrified screams.

Kyo shielded his eyes when the dust and smoke reached him. The whirlwind in the sky had turned red, and dozens of bright objects were coming out of it, as if materializing through a portal.

“Tch.” Kyo stepped aside as metallic trusses and the stadium’s reflectors came crashing down.

When he looked around, Kyo saw the arena descending into chaos. People were running and stumbling, the scaffolding was toppling over, the flickering screens had caught fire. The metallic roof had cracked and a rain of debris was falling onto the terrified audience. Shrilling screams of pain were interspersed with desperate cries for help. Bodies lied face down on the aisles.

A dense black smoke obstructed the view toward the seats. When Kyo looked up again, half the stadium was in ruins. And, amidst the destruction, as if it were some kind of absurd joke, a reporter was commenting on the situation in front of a camera in a very shaky voice.

“Hey, you! Do you want to die?” Benimaru asked harshly. The reporter winced, shook his head and ran for cover.

“We should ask ourselves the same,” muttered Kyo with a bitter smile, because the stadium was coming down around them, and they didn’t plan to leave until they could find out what was going on.

“We should switch back to the _Hero Team_ name in the next tournament,” Benimaru laughed, brushing his long blond hair with his fingertips. “We’re always saving the world, after all.” 

“When have _you_ saved the world?” quipped Kyo, but there was no time to keep joking about it. A fireball was descending from the sky, taking a humanoid shape.

Kyo felt his ki react to that being. It was definitely not human, and his body seemed to be made of fire. The creature’s negative energy sent a shiver down his spine.

Kyo wondered if this was the power his father had mentioned, before the tournament started. Was it the same energy that had tried to possess Iori?

With a guttural growl, the creature attacked.

Kyo’s teammates were caught with their guard down. Even though the creature was several meters away, disembodied fists materialized in the empty space in front of them and hit so hard that both Benimaru and Goro were sent flying backwards through the air.

Kyo managed to evade the worst blow, and rolled to one side with an annoyed “tsk”.

The creature growled again. The syllables formed a word that made no sense.

“Verse? Okay, that’s what I’ll call you,” Kyo said disdainfully, getting back to his feet. He could see the creature clearly now. His humanoid body was covered in armor, where bright golden grooves alternated with a dull opacity.

Kyo was startled when Verse closed the gap between them in a blink. Hands were floating in the air. Two pairs of hands that could attack as if they had a mind of their own.

Kyo threw a punch and his knuckles hit the solid mass of the creature’s body. He felt the scorching heat coming out of the molten rock affixed deep on Verse’s chest. He heard a cacophony of voices, screaming, wailing.

“What are you supposed to be?” muttered Kyo, and he raised his arms to guard against a pair of hands that flew toward him.

However, he didn’t feel the impact. There was an intense purple explosion right next to him.

“Don’t interfere, Yagami,” Kyo commanded irritably.

He wasn’t surprised to see Iori there, but it was too risky for Iori to be near the negative energy. Kyo didn’t want to see the redhead succumb to its control again.

Iori didn’t listen to him. He charged and Kyo had to do the same, hating Yagami’s impulsiveness. Didn’t he understand the danger? He could fall under the creature’s spell again.

“I’ll deal with this,” Kyo insisted coarsely, while the two of them punched the creature.

Iori still didn’t listen. There was resentfulness in his red eyes. He was angry because the creature’s energy had been able to possess him.

Kyo had to yield and join Iori’s attack.

The orange Kusanagi fire couldn’t be told apart from Verse’s, but Iori’s purple fire shone cold and vicious when the redhead attempted to rip the creature’s armor. At some point, Kyo saw blood on Iori’s fingertips, and he was sure that the blood was Iori’s, but he didn’t have time to worry about it. He had to focus on the enemy, the unrelenting attacks, the hands that materialized in the air and interrupted the flow of the fight.

There was no need for words. Kyo fell easily into the rhythm of Iori’s attacks. While the redhead took the offensive, he had enough leeway to seek an angle from where to surprise Verse. If Verse turned his attention toward him, Iori hit it from behind, striking and tearing, breaking its armor apart.

With a quick glance, Kyo looked at his teammates, who had approached to help. But Benimaru and Goro didn’t dare join the attack in fear that they would be in the way. Kyo made a dissuading gesture advising against coming any closer. Iori was all the help he needed.

The synchrony of their movements was like a dance. The blazing fire, the fluid sidesteps, dodges, attacks. The feeling of triumph when Iori successfully cracked Verse’s armor, opening a path for Kyo’s fiery orange flames to seep into the creature steadily, dissolving the darkness.

Kyo covered his eyes when Verse was set aflame. The creature disappeared in a beam of light that rose toward the heavens, where it exploded sending a million tiny fragments in all directions. The detonation made the arena tremble.

With a metallic groan, the remains of the roof started to fall apart. The entire stadium was collapsing.

“Let’s get out of here, Yagami,” Kyo said.

He didn’t get an answer because Iori had one knee on the ground, among fragments of metal and concrete. His eyes were closed and he was clutching his chest with one hand.

Kyo felt a pang of guilt. In the excitement of the battle, he had forgotten that the purple fire still hurt Iori’s body.

“Yagami,” he called out harshly, returning to the redhead and offering a hand.

Iori opened his eyes slightly. He stared at the offered hand and accepted the help, because the arena was falling down and there was no time for derisive words. Pride was not going to get them both killed in something as absurd as a collapse.

Kyo grabbed Iori’s hand firmly, realizing that the redhead’s fingers were bruised and bloodied after his attempts to break Verse’s armor.

“Come on,” Kyo said, looking into Iori’s eyes for a second, amused at the fact that his rival was also the person he trusted the most when it came to defeating enemies together.

During that brief moment of distraction, Kyo failed to notice the heavy steel beam that detached from the overhead trusses until it was too late. A creaking sound made him look up, and then his eyes returned to Iori, who was still getting back on his feet.

“Hurry up, Yagam—“

Kyo had only a fraction of a second to assess his options. He could pull Iori up but they wouldn’t have time to move aside. Leaving Iori to his fate was inadmissible. Letting his hand go and trying to destroy the beam, even though there wasn’t enough time to gather his strength…

His eyes met Yagami’s. The expression in Iori’s crimson eyes was one Kyo had never seen before.

Iori’s violent push propelled him backwards, and Kyo felt the painful impact of the edge of a warped girder against the side of his head. His sight turned blurry for an instant, but Kyo could see that Iori was moving to the side to get out of the way of the collapse. However, the redhead’s silhouette disappeared suddenly, when the trusses came crashing down, sending a thick cloud of debris and dust into the air.


	2. Their Names

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please keep in mind that English is not my first language, and this translation is unbetaed :')

_Where am I…?_

Kyo opened his eyes and immediately winced at the white glare of the room he was in. Squinting, he noticed that he was lying on a stretcher, in a room that looked like an infirmary.

He couldn't see much of his surroundings because there was a thick green screen in the way, but he heard a tender, soothing female voice in the next cubicle. A baby was crying nearby. Someone was rushing across the room.

He sat up, feeling groggy. He was wearing his own clothes and not a hospital gown, and this was definitely a good sign. There was no IV going into his arm, and his vital signs were not being monitored.

Getting off the stretcher, Kyo felt a sharp pain on the side of his head. He instinctively touched the spot with his hand and his fingers brushed a large bump that instantly reminded him of what had happened.

The final match, the fight against Verse, the arena collapsing. And Yagami sending him flying against an iron girder like the fucking savage he was.

Rubbing the bump, Kyo thought of Iori—who had reacted faster than him—and tried to subdue a feeling of humiliation.

While he had been wasting precious seconds trying to decide what to do, Iori had followed his instinct, and no unnecessary thought had gotten in the way of his actions.

Because, as expected, Iori didn't mind causing him an injury while trying to save him.

Kyo would make sure to give him hell about it the next time they saw each other.

He pushed the screen aside, ready to leave the place, and found out that he was actually in a hospital's emergency ward, together with other people who had been injured during the collapse of the stadium. There were patients of all ages, and the wounds went from light scratches to deep bleeding cuts.

Kyo assumed those were the less serious cases. The critical patients were probably being treated on other floors.

Trying not to think about the number of victims, Kyo told himself that what had happened, and the outcome, was not his responsibility. He had inherited a great power with the main purpose of keeping the world safe from the destruction caused by creatures like Orochi or Verse, but this didn't mean that he was to blame for the lives that had been lost, or the people who had been injured.

He had come to terms with his duty, and the fact that he couldn't save everyone.

"Dammit," Kyo muttered, stepping onto the corridor to find it full of people demanding to know what had happened to their loved ones.

The situation didn’t improve at the hospital's waiting rooms. The staff couldn't cope with the pushing and yelling of the crowd and the people making inquiries at the top of their lungs.

How many people were at the stadium?, Kyo wondered. Thirty thousand? How many were unable to escape?

"Kyo!" Benimaru appeared suddenly, nimbly dodging the crowds. "How are you feeling?"

"What's going on?" Kyo asked. Benimaru's hair was disheveled and covered in dust. The blonde's hands were stained with dried blood. "Are you okay?"

"I was helping the wounded while you took a nap," replied Benimaru, smiling without humor. "After you hit your head, you passed out while we were evacuating the arena. Do you remember?"

"What I remember is that Yagami is an idiot," Kyo muttered. "Where is he?"

"I don't know, Kyo. Thinking that you were dying and rushing you to the hospital didn't leave much time to worry about Yagami as well, sorry."

"It doesn't matter, I'll find him," Kyo said. "And Daimon?"

"He's assisting the rescue crew."

"If they are accepting help from civilians, things must be really bad…" Kyo muttered.

"The number of casualties keeps rising," Benimaru sighed tiredly. "Can you go back to the hotel on your own? I'd like to stay and help."

"Sure, but I don't plan on going back just yet," Kyo replied.

"Oh? Are you going to give us a hand?" Benimaru asked, somewhat surprised. However, the blonde's expression turned into suspicion one second later. "No, of course you won't. You're going to look for Yagami."

"It won't take long. If he's not here, I'll help," Kyo said, and he walked off before Benimaru had time to say anything else.

In the next wing, the hallways were crowded with tearful, distressed people. Blood stains were visible on the walls and floors.

Benimaru was right, Kyo was going to look for Yagami. He wasn't worried or, at least, not as worried as he would be for someone who was really close to him. He knew that Yagami was alive somewhere, because it couldn't be any other way, but the frailty he had seen in Iori during the fight against Verse troubled him.

Seeing Yagami on his knees, clutching his chest, had brought back memories from years ago—from a time when he was sure that Yagami's life was coming to an end. The immense power that resided within Yagami had been gradually eroding his body, and those who knew about his affliction coincided in that Yagami should have died a long time ago.

However, Iori had survived and, over time, his health had improved. As a tasteless joke, Kyo's friends liked to point out that Yagami was still alive thanks to his obsession with him. His obsession with _killing_ him, to be more precise.

Kyo could only smirk disdainfully at those comments, but deep down he knew it wasn't so simple. It went beyond wanting to kill him…

After the fight against Verse, Iori proved that things had changed between them the moment he accepted his help to stand up. Instead of brusquely pushing him away, he held his hand tightly. Maybe _too_ tightly.

Maybe Yagami would have mocked him before trying to break his wrist, had there not been an interruption?

Or maybe he wouldn't have… Maybe it was true that something was different…

Years had not passed in vain and now Iori wasn't just a constant annoyance in his life. The redhead was the person who stood by his side when a new enemy appeared. In his own peculiar way, Yagami had accepted his role as the host of one of the Sacred Treasures. When it was necessary, the Kusanagi sword and the Yagami magatama fought alongside each other once again.

As the heir to one of the relics, Kyo felt he had a duty toward Yagami, on account of those brief moments when they were united against a common enemy. Iori had tried to protect him from the falling rubble—the least Kyo could do was check if Yagami was okay.

 _And to berate him for this, of course_ , Kyo thought to himself, running his fingers through his hair. _Although he'll probably laugh at me and call it an insignificant bruise._

Kyo smiled bitterly. Even in his mind, Yagami could be extremely irritating.

He continued along the hospital's corridors, and he soon realized that walking without a clear destination would accomplish nothing. The place was enormous, with several floors and wards, and each area was filled with people desperate for information. Some even recognized him from the tournament and approached him to ask for help, because Kyo seemed to have a clear purpose and didn't look disoriented and confused like the rest of the crowd.

"Sorry, I can't help you…" he muttered, moving away from the hopeful faces, and telling himself once more that it was impossible for him to solve everyone's problems.

Impatiently, Kyo decided to look for Yagami by focusing on his energy. He had never liked using such ability, but he had no choice, especially if he wanted to leave the hospital soon.

Unlike him, Iori had made use of such skill shamelessly, for years, in order to find him whenever he felt like picking up a fight with him. And Kagura Chizuru, the heir of the third relic, had done the same, to pester him with requests and responsibilities.

This link was an ancestral bond that tied them together, as hosts of the Three Sacred Treasures. Since a young age, Kyo had tried to avoid using such power, because it reminded him of the obligation that had been imposed upon him by his "destiny". It was because of that bond that he couldn't get rid of Yagami, or Kagura, or his duty as the Kusanagi heir.

However, complaining about his destiny was a thing of the past. In the hospital, his ability to perceive Yagami's presence proved to be useful and extremely precise, even after years of not being used.

Kyo climbed some stairs, crossed the facilities from one end to the other, and finally reached a floor where he knew he would find Iori. When he asked for him at the reception desk, the nurses confirmed that Yagami was there, but they denied him access, because Kyo wasn't a direct relative.

"Do you expect Yagami to come to a tournament in Russia and bring his whole family with him?" Kyo grumbled angrily, and the nurses stared at him blankly, because he had spoken in Japanese.

"Oh, Kusanagi! Are you looking for your friend?"

Kyo turned around to find himself staring straight at Antonov's face. The tournament's organizer eyed him with a friendly expression. Under his shockingly pink shirt, thick bandages covered his torso, but despite being hurt, he carried a young, beaming boy in his arms.

"Yagami is not my friend," clarified Kyo, feeling slightly annoyed.

Unfazed, Antonov replied:

"I saw him protect you in the arena. That's what friends do, right?"

Kyo bit back an exasperated growl. He wasn't going to start a discussion about Yagami with that man.

"And where were you, by the way?" asked Kyo insolently. "You disappeared as soon as Verse showed up."

Antonov laughed heartily at Kyo's disrespectful tone.

"I was doing my part. A champion must protect his fans," he explained, making the child in his arms bounce once.

"Antonov protected us!" said the boy, looking at Kyo. "He saved us!"

Antonov nodded, pleased at himself, but his expression soon turned grave.

"I'll bear the hospitalization costs for all the victims and also for the rescue operations, but something like this can't happen again. That thing… That… creature, is he gone for good?"

"I highly doubt it," replied Kyo.

"Whatever you need to fight that monster, anything, just ask. I want to help."

Kyo regarded the tall man, who was talking in a softer voice. The emotion in his clear light blue eyes was honest. When Antonov wasn't bragging about his strength and his title as the KOF champion, he looked like a good person. And he transmitted _something_ , a frank naïveté, that assured Kyo that Antonov wasn't guilty of summoning Verse.

"It'll be safer if you stay here playing nanny," mocked Kyo, half jokingly, half seriously.

Antonov didn't take offense and kept smiling.

"You're right. I admit that you knew how to face that creature while I was still perplexed," he said. "But I have more money than any of you. My vast resources can help. What's more, your friend Yagami can stay at this hospital as long as he needs. Courtesy of the owner."

Kyo sighed. It was to be expected that Antonov owned the hospital. The place was probably called Antonov Hospital, just like the stadium was called Antonov Arena and the airport of the city was known as Antonov Airport.

"Where's Yagami?" Kyo asked, feeling that he had wasted enough time.

Antonov repeated the question in Russian to the nurses behind the desk using an authoritative tone. The young women looked for Yagami's room number on their screens.

"By the way, Yagami is still a bit disoriented," warned Antonov. "He's not seriously hurt, but it would be better if he remains at the hospital for a few days."

 _Why didn't he say so before?_ , thought Kyo.

The room mentioned by the nurses was not far. Kyo pushed the door and entered without announcing himself.

The place was narrow, with barely any clearance between the monitors and medical implements, the bed, and an uncomfortable-looking chair next to the bedhead. The walls were made of naked, spotless white cement.

The bed was empty. Yagami was standing next to the window, looking out, his back turned to Kyo.

Kyo breathed in relief. If Yagami was up, it meant he felt fine enough. The redhead was also wearing his own clothes, and the wine-colored coat was hanging from the back of the chair. The only sign of the injury he had suffered was a bandage around his head holding a gauze slightly stained with blood.

 _Is this what people call divine justice?_ , thought Kyo, smiling to himself. At least his own contusion didn’t need a bandage like the one Iori was sporting.

Kyo came closer and stood next to Iori, looking through the window. A crowd had gathered on the street, in front of the entrance. The security personnel has installed a metal barrier and a group of photographers, cameramen and reporters were demanding to know about the victims of the stadium's collapse.

"You're lucky the hospital is full. Otherwise they would have make you wear one of those green gowns…" commented Kyo sarcastically.

Iori didn't answer, but he turned his head slightly to look at him.

"Well, it seems I didn't need to worry about you," Kyo continued with an exaggerated sigh, scratching his head absently. "I'll go back to the hotel and--ow!"

Kyo winced when he accidentally brushed the swollen bump on his head. He closed his eyes tightly, because it had been a stupid thing to do, and, when he opened them again, Yagami was staring at him intently.

"Are you alright?"

Iori's voice was devoid of his usual contempt. Instead, there was a trace of concern.

Kyo didn't react at first, but then he laughed it off.

"You really hit your head hard, eh? Antonov mentioned that you were disoriented, but seeing you speak like this is very funny."

Iori frowned slightly and turned to look through the window again.

"Who are you?" he asked in a low voice.

Kyo laughed again, with a touch of annoyance this time.

"Now, that's not funny. You're bad at joking, Yagami."

Iori didn't have time to reply, because two nurses came into the room and looked at them, startled.

"You shouldn't be walking around," said the older nurse, a short-haired woman who walked toward Iori while shooting Kyo a reproachful look. "Please, return to your bed."

Despite her stern voice, the woman took Iori gently by the arm, pulling softly.

"Don't touch me," Iori said. His voice was low, the same tone he had used with Kyo, but the words sounded harsh and sharp.

"Please, sir, you need to rest…"

The woman's words turned into a surprised gasp when Iori freed himself by pushing her rudely, making her stumble against the other nurse. Both of them lost balance and fell on the floor with a yelp.

"Yagami!" Kyo intervened, grabbing Iori by the arm, because the redhead had taken one step toward the women looking angry and menacing. "What the hell are you doing?" Kyo demanded, raising his voice.

Iori shot him a furious glance, but then his expression changed. The redhead put both his hands on the sides of his head and closed his eyes. A groan escaped from his lips.

"Yagami!", Kyo repeated, a surge of concern making him tense up. Was Iori suffering an attack? The Riot of the Blood?

But soon it was clear that neither of those things were happening. He had seen the expression on Iori's face before. It was pain. But… why…? And why did he look as if he was in anguish?

The nurses were back on their feet, and, despite their initial fright, they did their job without faltering.

"Take him to the bed," instructed the older woman, and Kyo complied, relieved that at least Iori was allowing his touch.

Iori sat clumsily on the edge of the bed, without lowering his hands. The groans had subsided, but it was evident that the pain had not. Kyo felt lost.

"What's happening to him?" he muttered, looking at Iori's bandages.

"Please, lie down," the second nurse instructed timidly. She was a blond young girl who didn't look like she had much experience yet.

Kyo was not surprised when Iori didn't obey. The pain was still upsetting him, and his back was hunched, his eyes closed, his teeth gritted tightly.

"Can't you give him some painkillers?" demanded Kyo. He wasn't sure if it would help. He didn't even know if Iori needed painkillers, but he felt the urge to take command of the situation, because it was making him feel powerless, just like years ago, when Iori coughed up blood and all he could do was stare, unable to help him.

The older nurse tried to ask Kyo to leave the room, but the younger one shook her head. It was obvious that she didn't want to be left alone with Iori. The hospital was overcrowded, and the support staff who intervened when treating violent patients had their hands full. Maybe it would be easier if Kyo stayed there to help.

"We will give him some sedatives, but he needs to lie down first," said the older nurse.

"Did you hear, Yagami? Do as they say and the pain will go away," Kyo instructed, taking Iori by the shoulder and firmly pushing him toward the pillow. To his surprise, Iori yielded, without opening his eyes.

The women hurriedly prepared and IV. Kyo remained alert, in case he had to intervene if Yagami reacted violently to the needle prickling his skin, but the redhead didn't seem to feel it. After a couple of minutes, Iori calmed down. When he opened his eyes, his gaze was slightly unfocused.

"What's happening?" Kyo asked again.

After confirming that the painkillers were working, the blond nurse turned to Kyo.

"Please come with me and I'll explain. Are you a relative?"

Grudgingly, Kyo followed her to the corridor. Before leaving the room, he looked at Yagami one more time, and he noticed that Iori's glazed eyes were fixed on him.

The young nurse's explanation left him feeling numb. The head contusion Yagami had suffered did not leave any visible external wound, but the internal swelling was serious. And if it kept worsening, Yagami might need surgery to relieve the accumulated pressure.

Iori's disorientation was due to the inflammation. If his condition deteriorated, his movements could also be affected.

"But I don’t think it's just some disorientation, he didn't recognize me," Kyo said coarsely.

"What do you mean?"

"Yagami asked me who I was," Kyo explained. "And he's not being himself. He… He's not like this."

"Do you mean that he usually doesn't react in a violent manner?"

"No, not that…" Kyo muttered, starting to lose his patience, because he meant the contrary. Iori’s voice had been too soft. "The way he's talking. It's not like him."

"This sounds serious, I need to inform the doctor…"

"Didn't you notice that something was wrong with him?" asked Kyo, stunned.

Despite being younger than him, the nurse frowned sternly.

"He didn't answer any of our questions. It was hard to tell…"

The woman walked off, leaving the sentence unfinished, as if she had had enough of Kyo's insolent attitude. Kyo stood in the corridor for a while, but his shock soon wore off and he strode back to Yagami's room. The redhead was lying down, his eyes closed.

"Please, let the patient rest," muttered the nurse who was still tending to Iori.

"Antonov said that I can stay with him," Kyo grumbled. It wasn't true, but he was getting tired of the staff's unwillingness to cooperate.

The nurse pursed her lips, but she didn't insist. She couldn't contravene the decision of the hospital's owner.

Kyo waited by the foot of the bed until the woman left, and then he pulled the chair and sit by the bedhead. He sensed the faint smell of burned fabric from Iori's coat, and this made him rub his face tiredly. Just a few hours ago, they had been talking on the arena's balcony, looking forward to their next fight. How had they ended up in a hospital?

An involuntary sigh escaped from Kyo's lips, and he realized that Iori was not asleep. The redhead opened his eyes slowly and turned toward him.

Kyo couldn't read his inexpressive face. Aside from the glaze of his eyes, Iori looked normal. It was the way he talked that signaled that something was off.

"Listen, Yagami, it would be for the best if you do what the nurses say," Kyo said, leaning back against the uncomfortable chair and crossing his arms. "A head injury is a serious matter. And your condition could worsen if you're not careful."

Iori didn't say anything. His red eyes examined Kyo's face, his sour expression, his tense posture.

"If it weren't because you spoke, I wouldn't have realized either…" sighed Kyo, admitting that he had been too harsh with the nurse.

Still in complete silence, Iori tried to sit up.

"No, no, didn't you hear me? Try not to move," Kyo objected, leaning toward Iori.

Iori gazed at him, frowning, as if he couldn't figure out why Kyo sounded worried and annoyed at the same time.

Kyo tried to control himself and imagine what Yagami was going through. Although the situation was disconcerting, and aside from the incident with the nurses, the redhead was doing a great job at keeping it together.

Due to the bandage around his head, Iori's hair had been pushed back, and Kyo clearly saw the bitter shadow that swept through Iori's eyes. It was the first evident sign that Iori felt as lost as him.

"Do you really don't know who I am?" Kyo asked, keeping his voice soft.

Iori narrowed his eyes, without averting his gaze, making a clear effort to recognize him. After a few seconds, Iori put a hand to the side of his head with a faint groan.

Kyo stood up, alarmed.

"Take it easy… I shouldn't have asked… You don't need to push yourself, I'm sure that eventually…"

Iori winced and Kyo cursed silently. Why was Iori in pain despite the sedatives? And… was it really pain? Iori's gesture made him think of Orochi's influence, and all those times the god had haunted Yagami, trying to break his will.

But Orochi had been sealed.

Was this because of the dark power that took hold of Yagami during the tournament?

Was it merely the pain caused by the injury…?

"Goddammit…" Kyo became aware that, whichever the answer, he couldn't leave Yagami alone. Not until he made sure that Iori would not become a threat to those around him. "You need to get better fast, Yagami," Kyo said. "And to do that, you need to listen to me and rest."

Kyo placed a hand on Iori's shoulder and gently pushed him back. Again, Iori allowed it and he laid back against the pillow, docile under his touch.

 _No, this isn't right…_ Kyo thought to himself. Yagami didn't do that kind of thing. He didn't obey in complete silence. Where were the harsh words? The shove to get rid of him?

Iori still had his fingers buried in the red strands of his hair, pushing hard against the bandage. He looked at Kyo through half-closed eyelids, and Kyo wondered if he had remembered something, because his crimson eyes were full of annoyance now.

"Are you going to tell me who you are?" growled Iori dryly.

Kyo blinked, taken by surprise. For a brief moment, the tone of voice had been right, as well as the look in Iori's eyes.

Maybe this wasn't as serious as he had thought. Yagami was still Yagami. He just needed to remember who _he_ was.

* * *

—Kusanagi Kyo.

Kyo tried to sound nonchalant, but it was obvious that he was expecting his name to cause some kind of reaction in Yagami. A vague sign of recognition, at least.

There was nothing. Iori's annoyance dissolved and his face was inexpressive again.

The name meant nothing to him.

"Can you remember your name?" Kyo asked, masking his disappointment.

"Yagami."

"You do remember!"

"No, but you keep repeating it."

Kyo stared. Yagami had made a… joke?

No, not a joke. Iori's face was serious.

"Your name is Yagami Iori," Kyo explained. "Do you know where we are?"

"Somewhere in Russia," Iori muttered, glancing at the window.

"Do you remember why we are here?"

 _Maybe I shouldn't be asking so many questions…_ thought Kyo, while Iori shook his head slowly. _What do you do in this kind of situation?_

A creak at the door interrupted his thoughts. Kyo expected a nurse he could interrogate about Iori's condition, but instead he saw that it was Antonov. The millionaire smiled brightly, and his smile was not completely out of place. Now Kyo knew that Antonov was trying to keep a positive attitude in a dire situation, because he was a good person.

"I'm glad you found your friend, Kusanagi."

"I told you that Yagami is not my…"

Kyo bit his lip and shut up.

"I'll visit often to check that everything is alright. The hospital can barely cope and we have to help each other however we can. You can give us a hand as well, Kusanagi. While your friend is resting, of course."

The door closed slowly.

Kyo hesitated before turning toward the bed. As expected, Iori was looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"That sounded awful, but it's the truth," Kyo muttered. "We aren't friends. But it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't?"

"Yeah…" Kyo looked for a way to express himself properly. How could he summarize his relationship with Yagami in a few words? "It's…" A long silence followed.

"Hard to explain," finished Iori mockingly.

Kyo frowned. He wasn't sure if Iori would have talked like that under normal circumstances. His deep voice was the same, but the words… There was something in his words that sounded different, but not to the point of turning Yagami into a stranger.

 _It's him… without the hatred…_ Kyo realized suddenly.

"What makes you say that? Do you remember?" Kyo asked, using the same mocking tone.

Iori shook his head slowly.

"That's what I felt when I first saw you," he muttered.

"What does it even mean?"

Iori didn't reply. He glanced toward the window, and after a while he closed his eyes, and the question remained unanswered.


	3. A New Danger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Please keep in mind that English is not my first language, and this translation is unbetaed :')  
> \- I wholeheartedly apologize to the readers who work in health care ^_^. Rest assured that I'm perfectly aware that head injuries and hospitals don't work as depicted in this story.

The deceiving sensation of wellbeing lasted for a couple of hours and then the pressure inside his head started to increase, gradually, without stopping.

It began as a dull, throbbing pain behind his eyes that he tried to ignore, but then it became a piercing stab that made him flinch and groan against his will.

Since he had awoken at the hospital, dazed and disoriented, he had instinctively withdrawn, showing distrust toward the medical staff and the nurses. He had concealed his confusion and refused to answer their questions.

While he waited for his mind to clear up, and for his memories to return, the urge to get out of there as soon as possible started to grow.

He was considering what to do when Kyo arrived.

As opposed to the other people in the hospital, Kyo didn't make him feel distrust. His presence was familiar, although not precisely pleasant. In mere seconds, judging by Kyo's attitude, Iori was able to conclude that they were not close. Kyo seemed impatient, as if the entire situation was a responsibility he didn't want to accept. For a while, Iori wondered if they were co-workers, sharing an obligation.

Kyo's behavior was strange and unnecessarily confrontational, especially the insolent way in which he talked to the nurses. For Iori, it was perplexing that he found it easier to trust someone with Kyo's attitude, instead of the nurses who had shown him nothing but stern gentleness.

However, each minute Kyo spent in the room accentuated the familiarity. Kyo's aura conveyed something that Iori could not describe with words. Kyo's determination seemed to assure him that everything was going to be alright, but at the same time Iori found Kyo's self-confidence irritating. The annoyed concern shown by Kyo was exasperating as well, because Iori didn't want to look vulnerable in front of him.

Ironically enough, following Kyo's indications had a calming effect, and for a brief moment, Iori understood that he wasn't alone. He didn't remember who Kyo was exactly, but he had known that Kyo could be trusted.

When he looked at Kyo's face, no memory came to his mind, only contradictory and confusing emotions. The brunette's cocky smile was unpleasant to him, but there was warmth in his eyes sometimes, and Iori couldn't help but wonder why. How was Kyo related to him?

The question was partially answered when Kyo explained that they weren't friends.

But Iori was dissatisfied with the answer, because Kyo couldn't be a mere acquaintance.

And when he dug further, Kyo was unable to explain.

Iori tried to remember who Kyo was, and he felt the pain flare behind his eyes.

"­Yagami, are you okay?"

The voice was soft, but the chair's scraping against the floor when Kyo stood up made Iori hold his head and grit his teeth.

Kyo rushed out of the room and moments later Iori felt someone pushing his hands aside. He heard muddled, urgent voices around him. He tried to open his eyes, but the dim light next to the bed triggered a sharp stabbing pain within his head that shook his whole body and made him scream in agonizing pain.

The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Kyo muttering his name.

* * *

Days passed, but for Iori they could have been weeks or even months. He remained in a state of half-consciousness, unable to form coherent sentences due to the permanent, unrelenting pain.

He wasn't in any capacity to make decisions about his own health, and one morning Iori saw Kyo signing some documents on his behalf.

Gloomily, Kyo explained that Iori's condition had worsened and that he needed surgery, but smiled confidently the next moment.

"I know you'll pull through," Kyo said. 

Iori didn't feel so confident. Not with his head hurting like that and his body refusing to obey him.

However, he didn't have the strength to argue and he simply nodded weakly.

Time went by, unrecognizable, fragmented. At one point, Iori was lying on the bed in his room, and then, he was on a stretcher, being wheeled along a cold cement corridor.

The light hurt his eyes, but Iori perceived Kyo's presence like a blurry silhouette close to him.

Hazily, Iori wondered why Kyo spent so much time by his side.

If they weren't friends or relatives, then why…?

He wanted to ask him, but Kyo had been stopped by the hospital's staff, and soon Iori lost sight of him.

* * *

Kyo was waiting in the empty room, looking through the window at the grey buildings that surrounded the hospital. Several days had passed since the fight against Verse and the stadium's collapse, and the press had finally given up. The people who suffered minor injuries had returned home, and the hospital's corridors and wards where quiet.

Kyo had remained there, to the surprise of his teammates, who had returned to Japan without him.

"Are you _that_ worried about Yagami?" Benimaru had asked when they said goodbye at the hotel's lobby. The blonde couldn't understand Kyo's decision. "If you want, I can try to contact his relatives in Japan. Let his family take care of him."

With a faint grateful smile, Kyo had shaken his head.

"He doesn't have anyone."

Benimaru had not insisted, but he looked troubled, because he knew that things between Kyo and Yagami were not easy. It could be dangerous for Kyo to spend time with the redhead, especially if Yagami wasn't under complete control of himself or his state of mind.

"You aren't blaming yourself for what happened, are you, Kyo?" Benimaru had asked. "He got hurt because he tried to protect you, but it doesn't mean that he's your responsibility. I'm sure Yagami knew what he was doing."

"Would that be a valid excuse to turn my back on him?"

"Of course not," yielded Benimaru quickly. "I simply don't want you to feel guilty. This is out of your hands."

"It's not guilt." Kyo had paused to decide what he was willing to share with his teammate. "I'm just returning a favor," he explained. "I'm in debt with Yagami."

"But he doesn't remember it," joked Benimaru, realizing one second later that it was a tasteless thing to say. "It must have been a huge favor," he added smoothly.

Kyo had nodded, his thoughts going back to what had happened years ago, in the months after the battle against Orochi and the confusing turn of events that followed.

"I didn't think I'd be able to repay him," confessed Kyo softly. And then he looked at Benimaru straight in the eye. "What I'm doing, he did it for me, years ago."

Benimaru quickly hid his astonishment.

"Are you talking about the…?"

"It's late, I should go," interrupted Kyo. "I'll return to Japan as soon as Yagami recovers. See you."

The conversation with Benimaru had ended there, but the topic had not left Kyo's thoughts.

There was a period of his life he didn't like to talk about. And he tried his damnedest to avoid thinking about those days, because, every time the memories came back, the resentment they caused took entire days to die down.

The memories were related to a kidnapping, to days spent in an underground laboratory, at the hands of scientists who had experimented on him and with him. Kyo didn't remember those days clearly, because his body had been saturated with drugs that dulled his will and his thoughts, leaving him helpless, unable to resist or defend himself.

At the beginning, Kyo had tried to fight them, or at least hinder those scientists' plans. And they had soon lost their patience. They didn't need his consciousness, only the power of the relic hosted within his body.

Thus, the drug doses had been increased, exceeding even the reasonably permissible limits. Kyo was unconscious for days, and he was jolted awake by stimulant discharges when the researchers needed him to summon his power. The cycle of being put to sleep and then violently awoken was repeated so many times that Kyo started to question his life beyond the walls of the laboratory. Maybe it had been a dream, and he had never lived outside the lab…

But, one day, someone burst into the laboratory, and the familiar voice of Yagami called his name…

 _If only he had helped me escape and nothing else_ , Kyo thought, smiling ruefully, although not really angry at Yagami.

Iori had taken care of him in the weeks that followed, giving him time to recover from the damage and the experiments. He waited patiently while Kyo's mind struggled to come back to reality.

The redhead had seen him at his lowest, and had remained by his side. And more importantly, Yagami had not lost interest in him.

Kyo wanted to do the same for him. It was the least he could do.

"Mr. Kusanagi, are you still here?"

The nurse's voice interrupted his thoughts and Kyo turned around. The nurse was the same young blonde woman Kyo had seen the first day.

"The patient is out of surgery, but he will be kept under observation until tomorrow. Maybe you should get some rest. You've been spending a lot of time here."

"How is he?"

"We can't tell for sure until he wakes up."

 _It's Yagami we're talking about. Of course he'll be fine_ , Kyo thought, but he hesitated anyway.

"Please go get some rest, we will give you a call if anything happens. You can come to see him in the morning."

The young woman's words were kind. Kyo had spent so much time on that hospital floor, the staff had warmed up to him. The indifference of the first day was gone. Some nurses even regarded him with sympathy, moved by the dedication Kyo showed towards his "friend".

Kyo stood there, uncertain. He was tired, true, and not just because of the long hours spent at the hospital. Every time he heard Yagami groan or saw him clutch his head, his first thought was that Verse's power was trying to get a hold of the redhead again.

If a possession took place while he was away and Iori suffered the Riot of the Blood inside the hospital, the number of casualties would be high. Kyo didn't want more lives on his conscience.

 _But I can't save them all_ …, he reminded himself, just as he had done the first day, when he saw the number of victims claimed by the collapse. _My only concern is Yagami. The world is not my responsibility._

"Okay, fine," Kyo replied, walking toward the nurse and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Call me if something happens. Even if it's something insignificant, I want to know about it."

The nurse nodded, and Kyo left the room without noticing that the girl had blushed under his touch.

* * *

At the hotel, Kyo tried to relax, and he almost succeeded.

He was still staying at the accommodations booked for the Japan Team. Their room had three beds and an adjacent living room. The place wasn't big, but it was more than enough for him.

The tournament's organization had made the reservations at a hotel close to the arena, and the facilities were comfortable, although not overly sumptuous. The room was sparkling clean and looked new, as if the room had never been used before. The sand-colored wallpaper matched the light carpet and also the brown and beige couches.

Kyo took a long shower and ordered dinner. He lay on the sofa for a long time, writing messages on his cell phone to inform his family about what was going on. He also replied to his friends' texts asking when he would be back in Japan.

He kept the TV on, with the volume set low. The images showed the rebuilding works carried out at Antonov Arena. The debris had been removed, but the burn marks left on the area where they had faced Verse were still visible. The stadium's grass looked dry and yellowish.

Kyo stared at the screen absently. He became aware that the tournament had ended several days ago.

He wanted to return to Japan soon, but he wasn't sure if the circumstances would allow it. He would probably have to travel with Yagami, and the redhead didn't look well enough to get on a plane.

The city they were staying at was nice, but Kyo was growing weary of the chaotic traffic and the language he couldn't understand. His routine involved going from the hotel to the hospital and back. He didn't talk to anyone, with the exception of the hotel's staff, the hospital nurses and Yagami.

Kyo stopped paying attention to the television and he stretched, thinking about Iori.

Keeping an eye on Yagami went beyond repaying a debt. The redhead was the protector of one of the Sacred Treasures, after all, and his current condition left him vulnerable to anyone who wanted to steal such power. It had happened before, when Yagami's flames had been taken away with astonishing ease by an unexpected enemy. There was no telling if something like this could happen again.

The first day at the hospital, Kyo hadn't been quick enough to stop the gossip about Iori's situation. The other fighters had heard that Yagami was hurt, and some of them even asked Kyo if it was true that the redhead was suffering from amnesia. Kyo didn't confirm it, but the rumor reached everyone's ears anyway.

When Kyo contacted the Kusanagi family to discuss how to proceed, his parents suggested him to remain close to Yagami. The heirs to the relics where supposed to look after each other, after all. Kyo's father, Kusanagi Saisyu, commented that Yagami's memory loss was a good thing. If the redhead didn't remember his pointless rivalry with Kyo, maybe he would start focusing on fulfilling his duty.

Kyo listened to Saisyu and admitted that his father wasn't completely wrong, but, deep down, he disagreed. The fact that Iori had to lose the memories that had shaped his character in order to fulfill a responsibility was too unfair.

He didn't say his thoughts aloud, however. He had known for a long time that the clans did not see their heirs as persons. In the eyes of their families, he, Yagami and Kagura were nothing more than vessels for an ancestral power. Their bodies and lives were unimportant, just provisional receptacles which only served a purpose until the power was transferred to the next generation.

The conversation ended with Saisyu suggesting to place Yagami under custody of the Kusanagi clan as a precaution. Kyo assured him that it wasn't necessary and that he would take care of it. He knew from experience that the "custody" mentioned by Saisyu entailed locking Yagami up in a remote property of the Kusanagi clan.

After hanging up, Kyo entertained the idea of hiding the truth from Yagami and letting the redhead live as a "normal" person, at least until his memories came back. Was it really necessary to explain to him about the rivalry of the clans? If he kept Iori in the dark, handling him and making him cooperate would be easier.

Kyo dismissed the idea immediately, because it was impossible to hide that kind of thing. It would only take a quick Internet search for Iori to learn about many details of his life.

But even so, the idea kept circling his mind. Unlike his father Saisyu, Kyo could not see Iori's amnesia as something "good", but he welcomed the chance to give Yagami a few days of respite. He didn't want to inform him about the pact with Orochi, or the side-effects of Iori's purple fire. And he dreaded having to mention that Iori should have died years ago, as a consequence of the curse he carried in his blood.

It wasn't necessary to overwhelm Yagami with those details. All those matters could wait.

* * *

­"Yagami _what_?"

Still half-asleep, Kyo sat up abruptly on the couch of the dimly lit hotel room. The gray sky outside the window was gradually becoming more luminous, but the sun hadn't risen yet.

He had been awakened by his phone ringing and a troubled voice had informed him that Iori had left the hospital.

"We don't know how this happened… He wasn't unattended… We have already informed the…"

Kyo cursed to himself, and stopped listening. He looked at the ceiling in exasperation, and he realized that he wasn't surprised by the news. At all. This was typical of Yagami. The redhead hated hospitals as much as he did.

The problem was that Iori had been through surgery. He couldn’t leave the hospital and be done with it. It was too dangerous.

"I'll help look for him," Kyo said on the phone. "Let me know if you hear anything."

Kyo didn't waste time. He got dressed quickly, took his jacket and left the room. He bought a coffee at the vending machine next to the elevators and, when he reached the ground floor, the paper cup was already empty and he felt more awake.

Out on the street, the fresh air helped him clear his mind and Kyo set off toward the general direction of the hospital, along empty avenues where the streetlights were still on. He didn't have a specific destination in mind, because he had no idea where Yagami could be. He merely focused on Yagami's presence, and trusted that his instinct would allow him to find Iori.

Wasn't this how Yagami usually found _him_? The ability worked both ways.

Suppressing a smirk, Kyo wondered if he could install a GPS tracker on Yagami.

He didn't feel guilty for taking the situation in a lighthearted way, despite knowing that Yagami's injury was more serious than he had initially thought. He was concerned, but the concern didn't run too deep, because he knew that Yagami was stubborn and he would overcome any situation, even if he didn't recover all his memories… 

Kyo shook his head. No, he wasn't like his father. He wasn't going to start thinking like this.

After several blocks and with no clear indication of where he should start looking for Yagami, Kyo hailed a taxi and went to the hospital.

From the vehicle, he scanned the streets, but he only saw pedestrians on their way to work. Where was Yagami? What did he intend to do?

In front of the hospital, Kyo cursed inwardly for forgetting to warn the hotel's staff about Yagami, in the unlikely scenario that the redhead might had headed over there. However, Kyo got the feeling that Yagami wasn't far from him. Stubborn or not, Iori was in no condition to simply disappear.

Closing his eyes, Kyo ignored the curious glances people threw his way. He envisioned Iori nearby, in a quiet and empty place, far from the noise of the cars and the morning crowds.

Once again, Kyo set off. He never got a clear indication of Iori's location. He simply walked aimlessly, paying attention to each person he saw on the way, expecting to see red strands of hair, or crimson eyes staring at him from a distance.

_I'm the one looking for him this time… This must be a first…_

Some minutes later, Kyo reached the entrance to a vast park. The paths undulated between the thick trunks of the trees, leading towards an artificial lake at the center. Few people were there so early in the morning. A woman was walking her dog, a tall middle-aged man was jogging.

Kyo hesitated before deciding to explore the park. If he didn't find Iori, at least the green landscape would offer a less monotonous view than the gray office buildings surrounding the area.

The trail's gravel crunched under his feet and some birds took flight. Soon, the tree trunks drowned out the rumor of the vehicles speeding down the street, and Kyo found himself surrounded by silence, only broken by the soft splashing of the lake.

 _Maybe he's not here_ …, he thought, scanning the surroundings.

And then, with a start, he saw a familiar figure sitting on one of the wooden benches near the lake.

Iori was leaning back, one leg crossed over the other. His arms were crossed too, and his eyes were looking straight ahead, at the surface of the water. He wore his wine-colored coat, and the head bandages were gone. If the surgery had left any trace, it was hidden under his red hair.

Kyo strode toward him.

"How did you find me?" Iori asked harshly, without taking his eyes off the lake.

"Sixth sense," Kyo replied, trying not to sound too mocking, because it was the truth. "You shouldn't be here, don't you think? You were in surgery only hours ago…"

"I feel fine," Iori interrupted. His low, unfriendly growl both angered Kyo and made him feel relieved, because that was the usual tone Iori used with him.

"And… Can you remember anything?"

Iori turned his head slowly to look at him.

"Ah, forget I said that," Kyo added quickly, not wanting a repetition of what had happened when Iori made an effort to remember while at the hospital. "Uh… that didn't sound good…" Kyo went on, realizing that the verb he picked wasn't very appropriate given the circumstances.

"Are you stupid?" The deep voice and angry inflection were just right, and Kyo couldn't help but smile in relief. Iori frowned at him but didn’t add anything else. His crimson eyes scanned Kyo's face slowly, from his dark eyes to his lips, and the brown, silky strands of hair framing his cheeks.

After a few seconds, Iori winced and closed his eyes tightly.

"Yagami…" Kyo took one step toward him. "You are not okay. You should…"

"I won't go back to the hospital."

"I know, I wouldn't want to go back either, if I were in your place."

Iori was puzzled by the reply and he opened his eyes slightly to look at Kyo.

"I'm staying at a hotel not far from here," Kyo explained. "Actually, we both are. There must be a room reserved under your name. We can go back so you could rest. I can see that you're not feeling well."

Iori kept silent and Kyo went on: "We'll go to the hospital on our way back and I'll ask what medicines you need to take. That should be enough, I guess."

Kyo sounded optimist while making such a drastic oversimplification of the treatment Iori needed. It was as if he were dismissing the preliminary diagnosis given by the doctors, which had not been promising.

The injury Iori had suffered had led to fluids accumulating in his brain. The surgery had drained them to relieve the pressure, but the damage caused could not be assessed yet, nor the persistence of its effects.

The doctors had used complicated terminology and vague phrases, but, in summary, they had concluded that there was no specific treatment to be followed. All they could do was wait.

Iori wondered if the medical jargon had been too much for Kyo to comprehend, but he quickly realized that this was not the case. Kyo knew perfectly well what was going on, and his nonchalant attitude was his way of facing the problem. Even though Kyo acted as if taking care of him was a burden, he was always ready to help when Iori needed him.

 _He has always been like this_ , Iori thought, and he instantly wondered why he was so sure of this, if he couldn't even remember who Kyo was.

The distressing pain came back sharply, and Iori doubled over, clutching his head. He felt Kyo's hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go back, okay?" pleaded Kyo, and Iori agreed, because going to a hotel wasn't worse than staying at the park.

He stood up with effort and staggered, unable to fully control his body. Kyo quickly held him by the arm providing a firm support, and led him toward the park's exit, without letting go.

* * *

"We should have stayed at the hospital," muttered Kyo.

They had just got out of a taxi in front of the hotel, and Iori was leaning on the vehicle, trying to keep his balance.

"I'm fine," Iori growled while Kyo paid and quickly went over to him to hold him up.

"Yeah, I can see that you're perfectly fine," muttered Kyo, waiting for Iori to start walking.

However, Iori didn't move. He suddenly turned around and looked at the opposite sidewalk. The effort of doing so caused a groan to escape from his lips, as once again the stabbing pain flashed inside his head.

"What is it?" asked Kyo, alert, scanning the empty avenue.

"Someone is watching us," Iori answered through gritted teeth, one hand against his red hair.

Iori sounded sure of it, and Kyo narrowed his eyes and analyzed the buildings and small shops. There were some customers inside a coffee shop, and open windows could be seen in the upper floors. Kyo didn't see anyone suspicious, but he knew that Iori wasn't wrong. There was someone hiding, spying on them.

Were his worries coming true? The enemies that wanted Yagami's power were already on the move?

"Let them watch," Kyo said disdainfully, acting as if it wasn't of any importance. "As long as I'm here, they won't be able to do anything."

"Do you know who they are?" Iori asked in a low voice, because Kyo was taking it too lightly.

"No idea," Kyo replied, and it was a half-truth.

They entered the hotel and went to the elevators, ignoring the puzzled looks of the reception's staff. While going up, Iori used the elevator's wall as support, moving away from Kyo and his help. But Kyo remained close.

"You can stay at my room, there are two free beds," Kyo said, making it clear that he wasn't giving Iori a choice in this. "I'll go see if I can get your luggage."

Iori nodded faintly.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened to a long carpeted corridor. Kyo's room wasn't far, but they walked slowly, with Iori using the wall to keep his balance. The redhead's eyes were low and angry, as if he needed to use all his willpower in order to take each step, because he didn't want Kyo to see him stumble.

Kyo kept supporting him in complete silence. Seeing Yagami like this was nothing new to him. Years ago, Iori had faced the same difficulties, with his health deteriorated due to Orochi's presence. But, unlike that time, now Iori accepted his help, and this was satisfactory as well as troubling.

When they reached the room, Kyo took Iori to the sofa.

"Are you hungry? I'll order breakfast," Kyo said, and he picked up the phone without waiting for an answer.

Iori leaned back and watched Kyo for several minutes. Eventually, Kyo sat down next to him, taking the medicines they had bought at the hospital's pharmacy out of the pocket of his jacket. There were several colored pills, and Kyo patiently divided them in groups, comparing the names written in Cyrillic to the prescription issued by the doctor who had treated Iori.

Breakfast arrived soon after, and it was served on the living room's coffee table. Iori wasn't hungry, not even after days of eating insipid hospital food, and he only drank some coffee. However, Kyo piled up some bread, biscuits and ham, and handed the plate over to him, together with some pills.

"You need to eat. Or in addition to the head injury, you'll end up with ulcers for taking antibiotics on an empty stomach."

Iori stared at him for a long while. Kyo sounded impatient, but the disapproval in his eyes was actually masking his concern.

With a disdainful huff in the general direction of that strange Kusanagi guy, Iori complied and ate.

Kyo hid his surprise and nodded approvingly.

"It'll be better if you don't move around so much," he commented. "Stay here while I go investigate your room". After a pause, Kyo asked, pointing at Iori's coat. "Do you happen to have a key?"

Iori was about to take a sip of coffee, so he produced a black wallet from the coat's pocket and handed it over to Kyo.

Kyo hesitated before taking it.

"I guess you already went through its contents…"

"They didn't help much, but at least I know my age and where I live."

Kyo nodded. Iori's ID was there, together with a driver's license.

"This will be useful," joked Kyo, taking out a credit card and waving it in the air with a smirk. "And here's the key. Your room is on the upper floor." Kyo held a plastic card with the hotel's logo and a number written on its back. "Finish your breakfast, and I'll…" The words trailed off and Kyo frowned. "You won't try to escape as soon as I leave you alone, will you?"

"I'll be here," Iori replied, but Kyo kept looking at him suspiciously. "Didn't you say you could find me using your sixth sense?"

"Oh, did you believe me?"

Iori's face darkened.

At that moment, Kyo realized that Iori was truly in a disadvantageous position. Unable to remember, Iori had to trust everything he said, and assume that he was telling the truth. And Iori had not doubt him once. He had trusted him from the start.

"I wasn't lying," clarified Kyo. "But having to look for you is annoying."

The shadow on Iori's face cleared, but he kept staring at Kyo with hard eyes, pondering if he could really trust him blindly.

Kyo stood up, angry at himself, feeling that his silly joke had ruined the good attitude Iori had been showing towards him.

"I'll go look for your things. It won't take long."

* * *

Iori waited, without leaving the sofa, feeling the strange void left by Kusanagi's absence. With each second that passed, he felt the urge to go after Kyo. Why?

Kyo thought he would try to escape but… Kyo could also decide not to come back…

Iori needed to learn more about him. He wanted to be sure that he would be able to find Kyo if they became separated.

Iori ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes.

Kyo's presence had kept him calm until then. There hadn't been time for him to feel overwhelmed about his missing memories. When Kyo was with him, a strange serenity enfolded everything, even the urgency to remember. He wanted to remember who Kyo was, true, but the rest of his life seemed less important.

Why?

A noise in in the hallway interrupted his thoughts and Iori stood up, alert. He felt dizzy and had to hold on to the back of the sofa, but even so, he moved toward the door, using the walls as support. The head injury had been affecting the coordination of his movements for days, and Iori hated feeling so unsteady. He didn't want Kyo holding him because he couldn't walk on his own. He was intent on pushing his body to recover, despite the doctors saying that the damage could be permanent.

Iori opened the door roughly. The hallway was empty but for the trace of a presence. The same that had been watching them at the hotel's entrance.

What did they want? To reach him? Or Kyo?

The possibility of Kyo being the target of an unknown party set off a wave of overwhelming anger in Iori. The intensity of such emotion was disturbing, because Iori wasn't able to explain it. All he knew was that, if Kyo was in danger, he wasn't going to let anything happen to him.

"Yagami? What are you doing?"

Kyo appeared on the corridor, walking casually toward him. A relatively small bag hung from his shoulder.

Iori reflected for a moment and, without really knowing why, decided not to tell the whole truth.

"I heard a noise."

"You shouldn't be walking around," Kyo said, grabbing him by the arm to take him back to the sofa. "I only found this bag in your room. I didn't expect that you would know how to travel light. "

They sat down again, closer than during breakfast. Kyo moved the plates and cups aside and left the bag in front of Iori. The redhead went through the outer pockets first and found a cell phone. He turned it on unconsciously, without needing to stop to think if he remembered how to use it.

"I'm not sure what you'll find there. If you overload yourself with information, maybe your head will hurt again..." warned Kyo.

Iori ignored him. The battery was almost empty, but it would last enough to take a look at the contents. He checked the contact list and read some names that weren't familiar. None of the people listed there had "Yagami" as surname, but he found one entry simply labeled as "Kyo". The call and message history associated to that number was empty.

The mobile phone had no files or logs that could shine a light on who Iori was, but the dozen or so photographs stored in the gallery might be able to help.

Iori blinked in astonishment when he opened the main folder.

"You have nothing to worry about," Iori muttered sarcastically, bewilderment still clear in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Kyo asked with curiosity.

Kyo leaned toward the phone's screen and saw the picture of a handwritten music score. He casually touched the screen with one finger and swiped to look at the next picture, and what he saw made him go wide-eyed.

The photo showed a sleepy orange cat sitting on a brick wall.

Kyo swiped to the next picture, and the next one after that.

"You only have pictures of cats?" he asked in disbelief, and then he started laughing, while he continued looking at the rest of the photos, which were all of cats of different colors. "Then the rumor that you like cats is confirmed…"

Iori looked at Kyo, who was leaning very close to him. It was the first time that Iori saw him smile like that, so openly amused. The impatience and irritation were gone from his brown eyes. Kyo looked comfortable and content with their proximity.

Without thinking, Iori raised a hand and touched Kyo's dark hair.

Kyo turned toward him and held his gaze. He wasn't surprised, but there was an apologetic expression on his face, which was quickly hidden behind a mocking smile.

"What are you doing, Yagami?" Kyo asked, firmly pushing his hand away, without being overly brusque.

"The first time I saw you, you were hurt," Iori said in a low voice, looking at Kyo's hair.

"It was just bruise," Kyo replied.

"What happened?" Iori waited for an answer, but Kyo hesitated. "I know you were there when the stadium collapsed."

"I didn't mean to hide it from you, but trying to remember didn't seem to be doing you any good. I can explain now, if you want…"

Iori nodded.

Kyo glanced at the living room's windows, putting his thoughts in order. Eventually, he decided to share the events that Iori could learn by himself by simply reading the news: he spoke about the tournament, the final match, Verse…

Kyo made a pause when Iori narrowed his eyes at the mention of the creature.

"Facing supernatural beings who want to destroy the world has become routine by now, they don't stop showing up," Kyo said. "I know it sounds like madness, but I'm telling the truth."

"I believe you," muttered Iori.

"You do?"

"What other choice do I have?" Iori said. "But don't try to take advantage of this. If you start lying to me, you will regret it."

The threat sounded serious, but it made Kyo smile.

Iori was taken aback. He couldn't figure out why Kyo was smiling and not getting angry at him.

"Don't worry, Yagami. I gain nothing by lying to you," Kyo said. "When Verse appeared, you intervened… You're skilled at fighting, by the way. I know you don't remember this, but maybe you can feel it…"

Iori kept his thoughts to himself. His face remained expressionless while he waited for Kyo to continue.

"It took time, but we defeated him. Verse's energy made the stadium unstable. That's when you were hurt." Kyo sighed, uncomfortable. "You protected me from the falling debris. But you couldn't move aside on time and…" A slight surprise appeared on Iori's face. "I guess what happened to you is my fault." There was a pause, and then Kyo added, softly: "I'm sorry."

Kyo's gentle voice awoke conflicting emotions in Iori. To him, Kyo didn't look like a person who would apologize like that, and this made him feel inexplicably angry. However, knowing that he had protected Kyo caused him intense satisfaction.

The anger he had felt at the thought of people spying on them to get to Kyo now made sense. Even though he didn't know the reason, he wasn't going to let anything happen to him. The injury he had suffered was proof of that.

Iori chuckled, very faintly. Now he understood that the trust he felt toward Kyo, and the calm that enfolded him in his presence, were traces of his forgotten life. His memories eluded him, but he was getting an idea of the type of person he was, thanks to what Kyo made him feel.

Kyo looked concerned.

"Okay, this wasn't the reaction I was expecting," he said. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Kyo frowned, doubtful, and Iori continued:

"Why do you look so worried?"

"You've been eerily calm since this started," explained Kyo in a low voice. "I thought you'd become agitated as time passed, but… It seems you don't care about what's going on…"

Iori set the phone aside and he leaned back on the sofa, crossing his arms.

"I don't feel an urgency to remember," he admitted, gazing at Kyo calmly. "But I want to remember you."

Kyo blinked once and then lowered his gaze, suppressing a weak laugh.

"Then everything is going to be alright."

Iori was puzzled by his words. What did Kyo mean?

"I'll take care of everything until you recover, Yagami," Kyo continued, raising his eyes. "Take this time to rest, don't try to escape, and as soon as you feel better, we'll go back to Japan. Maybe the familiar surroundings will be beneficial to you."

"You are considerate, despite not being my 'friend'."

Kyo ran a hand through his dark hair and smiled as if to say: _I know_.

* * *

A blond man was half hidden in a recess of the hallway that led to Kusanagi's room. It was the same person who had been watching the hotel when Kyo and Iori had arrived, and the presence that Iori had felt in the corridor.

Some people walked by and didn't pay attention to him, because the man was propped against the wall, looking at his phone's screen with a bored expression on his face. It was easy to mistake him for another hotel guest.

When the corridor was empty again, the blond man dialed a number and put the phone to his ear. Despite his posture, his light-blue eyes were alert.

"Yagami and Kusanagi are back at the hotel," he informed using a professional tone. "Yagami is still unwell, but we should be careful when tailing him. When I let him sense my presence, he almost got me." The man paused and listened to his boss's rich voice on the line. "I still need to confirm if the rumor about his amnesia is true," he added, and then he straightened his back and frowned. "Yes, I can do this alone, Geese-sama."

After the call was over, the blond man glanced at the closed door that separated him from his target and he smiled. The mission entrusted by his boss might prove to be an amusing one.


End file.
